The Realist and the Inventor
by Blissful Abyss
Summary: Steampunk AU. In a world where asking questions and achieving is forbidden and punishable by death and torture, Feliciano Vargas has to keep his creative and genius inventions to himself and act like a simple fool to keep his head on his shoulders. But a patrol officer that is fascinated by these inventions makes Feliciano wonder... when was it such a crime to dream?
1. Chapter 1

_**Summary**__: In a world where asking questions and achieving is forbidden and punishable by death and torture, Feliciano Vargas has to keep his creative and genius inventions to himself and act like a simple fool to keep his head on his shoulders. But a patrol officer that is fascinated by these inventions makes Feliciano wonder... when was it such a crime to dream?  
_

_**Pairings**__: GerIta, Spamano and others_

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In this world, everything was order. Everything and everyone had their own place in the world. There wasn't time to dilly dally or think of achieving the impossible. You could only achieve so much in life. No higher. If you over-achieved or thought "out of the box", you would just die. It was seen as sinful. It was how the world worked. There was no way in denying it. It was improbable. Everyone knew that everyone was the same as everybody else in the world. It was a crime to think otherwise.

Feliciano however did not know that.

Feliciano would always dream of things that never were; things that could be, things that should be born from a few simple gears and springs. It was _his_ reality. In his dreams, he was right. He was free to dream, to explore, and to wish. No one could tell what he could and could not do. Of course there was Lovino, but that was different. Feliciano wanted nothing more than to stand out and change the world for the better. He didn't like being the same as everybody else.

That was why he loved inventing. It was like his own way to say that he was Feliciano Vargas and no one else. He would still do his inventing even when Lovino told him not to because of the consequences that Feliciano would have to face if anyone found out about his hobby and reported him. Feliciano would always ignore him of course, but he knew that Lovino was right. If the officers that would terrorise the country he lived in found out… the results would be, for him, disastrous. But Feliciano wouldn't mind to take the risk. If he was going to die for doing something that he loved, then so be it.

But this day was, for Feliciano, a bit of an unusual day. He had gone to the market to look for a few simple things to help his precious cat Kathalina recover from a bug that she had caught a few days previously. His amber eyes scavenged the piles of bits and bobs that he needed to help Kathalina get better. The man behind the stall looked at Feliciano and chuckled lightly. The man was rather old, with a few sprouts of hair left on his head and false teeth in his mouth.

"Can't fin' what yer lookin' for, eh Vargas?" The man asked with a grin. Feliciano shook his head.

"No, But I'll keep looking. It's got to be around here _somewhere_, I only saw it a few days ago…" Feliciano mumbled to himself, ruffling his brown hair in frustration. The man chuckled again.

"Say, why not use yer fancy-schmancy goggles on yer noggin? Rather than lettin' 'em rest on yer head to show off." The man asked, nodding towards goggles that rested on Feliciano's head. They were a metallic bronze colour with dark blue lenses that helped him work in the dark with a very small telescope resting on the top of the frame that could be positioned in any way with a small torch on the side just in case. They were strange, but Feliciano took pride in them; the goggles were the first things that he made when he was bored a few years ago. He never left anywhere without them.

"But, they can't help with this though! I'm looking for something to help my cat get better; she's not really feeling that well. She won't stop twitching." Feliciano said admittedly with a glum look on his face. The man nodded at Feliciano knowingly.

"Ah, that sounds like yer circuit board be actin' up again. I migh' have one fer ya over 'ere…" The man said softly, plunging his hand into a small box that was on the stand. Feliciano waited patiently, rocking back and forth on his feels whistling slightly to himself. It was a good thing that he and the man shared this hobby in common; he would always give Feliciano simple yet very helpful hints on what to do and how to do it. He was like a mentor for him.

"Ah, 'ere it is! It's a small one, an' if yer look 'ere, it has these little PCB tracks, so ya can keep an eye on the circuit now an' again. Reckon this be what yer lookin' for?" The man asked, looking at Feliciano with a questioning look on his face. Feliciano was too busy grinning as he eyed the circuit board. Not only was it that he was looking for, it was the perfect size! Feliciano grabbed it ecstatically, his eyes glowing.

"This is _perfect_, sir! Thank you so much! I'm sure she'll be better soon now, thanks to you!" Feliciano said joyfully, rummaging in his pockets, pulling out two copper coins and a silver coin and handing it to the man. Now Feliciano was sure that Kathalina was going to get better for definite this time! The man chuckled lightly.

"No need ter thank me, sonny. Ya go spunk; I like that these days; instead of everyone bein' so gloomy an' miserable." The man added in an undertone, nodding at the other grey and depressed looking market stalls that littered the street. Feliciano nodded in return. People would usually find Feliciano as a little bit odd, if not crazy. His positive attitude would gain him shushes from passer-bys and bewildered stares on a regular basis. But Feliciano got used to it to be honest. At least they didn't throw rocks and other things at him.

It was then Feliciano heard the faint yet distinct sound of a march. He turned his head to see a patrol officer that was indeed quite tall, with neat combed back blonde hair and blue eyes. Feliciano knew that he was a patrol officer because of the uniform he was wearing; a dark green coat that reached his ankles, firm black boots, and a jet black peak cap. Feliciano frowned slightly.

"What's going on? I thought inspections were at the end of this month." Feliciano said in confusion, looking at the patrol officer slowing down his pace as people started to cower in his presence. The man didn't even seem to notice that everyone feared him.

"I don't know ter be honest. I ain't ever seen him 'ere before." The old man said admittedly. Feliciano stared at the man and realised how young he looked. He could have been Feliciano's age, if not a few years older at the very least. The man peered at the other market stalls and began talking to them, with Feliciano trying to read his lips. The people all nodded to the old man's stall that Feliciano stood, and Feliciano frowned. Why did he want to come over here? But as the man neatly made his way towards them, Feliciano felt his heart suddenly race in his chest. The man's blue eyes were astoundingly bright for Feliciano, and had a sense of determination to them. Everything was in place with this officer.

"Do you own this stall, sir?" The man asked. His voice was low and firm, but it had a slight gentle tone to it as he addressed the old man. The old man nodded slowly.

"Yeah, I own this stall. And who might ya be then?" The old man asked the officer suspiciously. The officer nodded at the old man slightly and looked at the pile of scrap metal and the odd pieces of springs that were scattered around the display.

"This is a part of the new regulations, sir. We have to inspect markets once a week." The man said, glancing at Feliciano for a brief second. For a second Feliciano felt as if the breath inside of him was sucked right out of him

"Well as ya can see 'ere, there ain't nothin' here that is harmful." The old man said with pride in his voice. Feliciano watched the officer looking through the piles on display thoroughly and silently and then placing then back into a neat pile which had Feliciano staring at him in awe. The old man stared at him too. The usual officer would just leave their mess behind. He inspected every bolt and nut, every broken watch face and every blown out bulb. He was a man dedicated to his job. After a while he looked up at the old man with a slight satisfied look on his face.

"Well, I see no problems here. I'm sorry if I wasted your time, sir." The officer said apologetically. He turned to Feliciano and nodded at him respectfully, and Feliciano smiled back at him widely. The officer looked a little bit fazed, but turned on his heels and marched towards other stalls on the other side of the street.

"First time I ever see a nice officer." The old man said in awe. Feliciano nodded blindly as he stared at the back of the man's head. There was something about that soldier that made Feliciano wonder if all of the officers were as bad as people thought. But Feliciano kept his thoughts to himself this time.

Too many of his thoughts could get him executed.

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_The next chapter awaits you_


	2. Chapter 2

Feliciano had decided to take the long way back to his home. As he walked through the fields with his new circuit board and other groceries in his bag, he couldn't help but take in the scenery that surrounded him. It was a surprisingly sunny day, due to the fact that it was usually grey and miserable most of the time. This fascinated Feliciano to the upmost extent. Feliciano stopped as he saw a batch of small white lilies. Feliciano smiled to himself as he picked one. He knew what he was going to do with it. After that Feliciano carried on walking.

Feliciano's home wasn't that far from where he was heading; it was only a stone's throw away at the very least. Feliciano had reached a crossroad and turned left and carried on walking as he hummed to himself a lullaby he remembered from when he was a little boy that Grandpa Roma would sing to him. He could still remember the melody and the lyrics off by heart, even though he was newly nineteen. Feliciano had only found himself walking up the hill that was right next to his home when he began to sing the lullaby softly to himself.

_"Beautiful dreamer, wake unto me,_  
_Starlight and dewdrops are waiting for thee;_  
_Sounds of the rude world, heard in the day,_  
_Lull'd by the moonlight have all pass'd away!"_

When Feliciano had reached the top of the hill with the sun shining down on his face radiantly, he carried on walking as he found the old ancient oak tree that stood tall and large, some of its branches twined together with each other and a few accessories that Grandpa Roma had added which included a few metal steps to help Feliciano and Lovino climb up the tree with ease. Underneath the oak tree, Feliciano could see the stone gravestone that was perched in the shade of the leaves. Feliciano still found himself singing as he was drawing closer to the gravestone.

_"Beautiful dreamer, queen of my song,_  
_List while I woo thee with soft melody;_  
_Gone are the cares of life's busy throng,_  
_Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me!_  
_Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me!"_

Feliciano stood in front of the gravestone with a soft, sincere smile on his face. He then sat in front of the gravestone with crossed legs and rested the lily in front of it. He placed his hands on his ankles and leaned in closer towards the gravestone and kissed the top of it lightly.

"_Ciao, mamma_." Feliciano said softly. There was a soft gentle breeze that tickled Feliciano's cheek that made him laugh slightly. He hadn't really known his mother well as she died when Feliciano and Lovino were only a few months old. He had been told that she was a free spirit and shared the same inventing passion with Feliciano. In his home were pictures of his mother everywhere. Grandpa Roma had put them everywhere so not to forget about her, which Feliciano didn't really understand that well. He just knew that his mother was a beautiful woman who died too young.

"How are you, mamma? I hope you're doing well in Heaven. I found a new circuit board for Kathalina, so she'll get better soon. I don't really know why she went haywire, but you should have seen it mamma; she just wouldn't stop twitching! I think she tried to drink some water and forgot she wasn't a real cat." Feliciano babbled with a smile. There was another gentle breeze that ruffled Feliciano's hair lightly and Feliciano laughed lightly. He knew that even though his mother was no longer with him, she was still listening to Feliciano's stories whenever he spoke to her. It was comforting really.

"Well, I should go before Lovino starts to yell at me. I hope you like the lily." Feliciano said softly, kissing the gravestone again before standing up. He waved at the gravestone before slowly turning away and walking away from the oak tree and his mother's remains. He would sometimes feel bad for leaving her on her own, but he knew that his mother was more than welcome to visit them back at home if she wanted to. As Feliciano walked down the hill slowly, he decided to sing the lullaby to himself; he couldn't get it out of his head since he started singing it.

_"Beautiful dreamer, out on the sea_  
_Mermaids are chanting the wild lorelie;_  
_Over the streamlet vapors are borne,_  
_Waiting to fade at the bright coming morn."_

Soon enough he found himself at the bottom of the hill. He looked up at it with a sad smile on his face as he sung the last few lines of the verse.

_"Beautiful dreamer, beam on my heart,_  
_E'en as the morn on the streamlet and sea;_  
_Then will all clouds of sorrow depart,_  
_Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me!_  
_Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me!"_

Another gentle breeze on his cheek and Feliciano closed his eyes. If he could imagine hard enough, he would feel his mother's arms wrapping around him and holding onto him tightly and never letting go. He would feel her curls brushing his cheeks and hear a soft voice of his mother. It was a comforting feeling.

"For God's sake Feliciano, where did you fucking run off to _this_ time?! Your stupid cat's been barking and neighing for two hours straight, and you should thank me for not kicking that fucking cat down the stairs!" Lovino bellowed from behind Feliciano. Feliciano flinched slightly and turned around hesitantly to see Lovino storm towards him with a venomous look on his face. Like Feliciano, he had amber eyes and brown hair, except Lovino's eyes would have a permanent glare to them, and his hair was parted from Feliciano's right instead of the centre and a curl that went to the left rather than the right than Feliciano's. Feliciano laughed nervously.

"Heh-heh, had she really been that bad, _fratello_?" Feliciano asked nervously. Lovino rolled his eyes at him.

"I had to get away from that fucking thing. Honestly, one of these days that robot is going to end up as a toaster if it tries to come anywhere closer to me." Lovino growled acidly. Feliciano let out a slight laugh, but coughed hastily to cover it up. Lovino glared at him darkly.

"Where were you anyway?" Lovino asked curiously. Feliciano didn't reply, but looked up at the hill silently with a smile on his face.

"I went to see mamma." Feliciano said joyfully. There was a moment's silence, and Feliciano stole a quick glance at Lovino. Lovino was staring at the hill with soft eyes with a slight smile on his face. It was funny; he would always act mean and harsh sometimes. But when it came to their mother, he was as innocent and kind as Feliciano.

"Oh… well, you could have just told me instead of wondering off and leaving me with Kathalina, idiot!" Lovino said loudly with fury. Feliciano laughed, and suddenly dashed past Lovino.

"Come on then, _fratello_!" Feliciano called out to Lovino, who was chasing after him swearing his head off and using curses that Feliciano didn't think he heard before in his life. But Feliciano laughed loudly as he ran away from Lovino. It was times like these when Feliciano forgot the fact that the world was meant to be miserable and bleak and emotionless. It was times like these when Feliciano felt free. Of course there were times when he would invent things that people would never see in their lives.

Their home was a small ranch house made of copper metal and muddy brown brick. It was a strange house, with large windows and a crooked chimney and a few nuts and bolts screwed onto the wall for decor, but it was home. It was normal for houses to look like that for Feliciano. Feliciano slowed down a bit as he opened the front gate and walked through the gate. Lovino was close behind him panting heavily and clutching his chest tightly as they walked through the back door of the large and tidy kitchen.

"And you… say… you can't… fucking… run…" Lovino panted darkly. Feliciano chuckled lightly, but then suddenly felt something brush against his ankles. He then looked down to see his Kathalina. Although Kathalina looked like a real cat, with soft shabby brown fur and bright green eyes, she was indeed a hundred percent machine inside and out. Feliciano picked up Kathalina and held her close to his chest as she nuzzled her head against him lightly and mewled softly.

"Oh, so _now_ you fucking act like a cat?" Lovino said furiously. Feliciano laughed joyfully. Kathalina hissed at Lovino suddenly, which sparked off a swearing mechanism in Lovino's mindset. There was a deep rumbling noise of a chuckle that echoed through the kitchen.

"Are those the voices of my sweet little _nipoti_ that I hear?" Grandpa Roma said as he walked into the kitchen with a large grin on his face. Tall and strong built with dark thick curls and blazing amber eyes, Grandpa Roma barely looked older than thirty. But when he hugged Feliciano and Lovino together, Feliciano could sense the usual protection of a grandparent. Suffocating at times, but something that Feliciano looked towards to for safety.

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_The next chapter awaits you_


	3. Chapter 3

Kathalina mewled slightly as Feliciano had finished soldering the wires together. It had taken a while for him to actually get Kathalina to stay still as she scampered around the house. Feliciano couldn't get frustrated at her, as she was barking and neighing and even clucking at him acidly to stay away from here. Lovino had no intention in helping Feliciano, but fortunately, Roma had decided to grab Kathalina smoothly and quickly with ease. And now Feliciano had just finished replacing her old, frazzled circuit board with a brand new one. He was happy with his handiness as Kathalina meowed loudly and licked her paw elegantly. Feliciano didn't really understand what gave him the idea of making Kathalina in the first place. Maybe it was the fact that he was lonely when he made the cat when he was fifteen, or maybe it was because his mother adored cats. But he knew that he wouldn't get rid of Kathalina even if his life depended on it.

"How do you feel, Kathalina?" Feliciano asked softly, scratching Kathalina behind her ear. She purred gently as she nuzzled her head into his head affectionately, licking his hand fondly. Her tongue was rough like any other cat's tongue which made Feliciano giggle joyfully. She was perfect compared to any other thing Feliciano had created. Kathalina had a body of an agile cat with pale brown stripes as well as her shabby brown fur, and her tail was roughly seven or eight inches long. Her eyes however were a giveaway to her being a machine. Though bright green and vibrant like any other cat, her pupils were not painted on or just black glass; they were camera lenses. Feliciano remembered looking at the lenses, thinking that hopefully they wouldn't be needed. And so far, no one had asked for a pair of camera lenses.

Feliciano looked around at his surroundings. He was in the annexe of the house which was hidden in the roof. The room was large enough for six people, with preserved food supplies to last the people in the annexe for a good year and a half. It was dark and dusty and had a strange stench to it with the only source of light being emitted from the small circular window that had the view of the hill that was sat opposite the house where his mother rested. It always had a picturesque view to it no matter what weather, no matter the seasons that swapped and took their turns for their three months.

"Feliciano, get your ass out of there." Lovino called from the other side of the door. Feliciano looked up at the door and stood up from his chair and walked towards the door with Kathalina hot on his heels. He opened the door to find Lovino with an irritated look on his face and flushed cheeks.

"Lovino, why are your cheeks so red?" Feliciano asked curiously as he closed the door behind him as Kathalina purred next to Feliciano's ankles. Lovino's cheeks darkened sufficiently as his eyes widened in an annoyed shocked. He turned his head away from Feliciano.

"That has nothing to do with you. Now come on, Grandpa made dinner." Lovino said bluntly, making his way down the stairs. Feliciano followed soon after and clung onto Lovino's arm. Lovino shook his head slightly, but he didn't move his arm away. It was weird how they were twins, yet they weren't anything like each other at all. Feliciano was carefree, a gentle soul who craved for nothing more than friendship and freedom; Lovino on the other hand was practical, quick on his feet and was more concerned about safety than luxury.

Feliciano and Lovino soon found themselves in the dining room, the table large and circular with a dozen chairs around it with a red and white checkered cloth laid on top of it. The walls were littered with clocks of different designs, but there was a clock that always entertained Feliciano; a cuckoo clock with a bronze and platinum bird that flew around the room every hour for five minutes that chirped the lullaby that Grandpa Roma would sing to them. It was obvious that Grandpa Roma was the reason why Feliciano's mother had a passion for inventing. But there was someone sitting at the dining table, with slightly tanned skin, messy brown hair with a few curls and bright green eyes.

"Ah, hello there Antonio!" Feliciano said chirpily. Lovino turned his head away from Antonio as he stood up and hugged Feliciano tightly.

"Ah, if it isn't cute Feliciano! You've grown since I last saw you! One of these days you'll be as tall as me!" Antonio laughed. Feliciano laughed joyfully. Feliciano liked it how Antonio was always so happy and laughing all the time even in the darkest of times. He always cheered Feliciano up whenever he was upset.

"Come here, Lovino! You didn't think that I forgot you now, did you?" Antonio called out with a grin on his face to Lovino, who was walking towards the dining room door silently. Lovino turned his head to Antonio and rolled his eyes at him tiredly, a venomous glare in his eyes.

"You already smothered me today. I don't want you to actually suffocate me with your annoying self." Lovino said darkly. Antonio looked at Lovino with a pouting look in his eyes as he let go of Feliciano and suddenly hugged Lovino.

"Ah, Lovino, you're so cute when you try to be cold and harsh towards me." Antonio said with red cheeks and a loveable grin on his face as Lovino's face had turned a tomato red as he tried to worm himself out of Antonio's grip. Feliciano laughed happily as Lovino started pulling at Antonio's cheeks to get Antonio to let go of him. The two of them were indeed hilarious with each other, even if they didn't really notice.

"Antonio, what are you doing to Lovino? I hope you're not causing Lovino any distress." Grandpa Roma said with a chuckle in his voice as he walked into the dining room with a large bowl of salad in his arms. Antonio looked up at Grandpa Roma with a sheepish smile as he released Lovino slowly. Lovino folded his arms stubbornly.

"No, I was fine on my own." Lovino grumbled darkly. Grandpa Roma chuckled again and ruffled both Feliciano's and Lovino's hair fondly. Feliciano laughed lightly as Lovino cried out in protest and shooed Grandpa Roma's hand away.

"Feliciano, can you and Lovino go make us some drinks; there should be more of us coming." Grandpa Roma asked in a happy tone. The atmosphere didn't change as much as before, but Feliciano could hear a hint of commanding in Grandpa Roma's voice. Lovino glared at Grandpa Roma for a while who smiled back warmly. Lovino grabbed Feliciano's arm and pulled him towards the door.

"Come on, Feli." Lovino mumbled. Feliciano didn't protest and left the room quietly with Lovino. Feliciano closed the door behind him slowly, and looked at Lovino puzzlingly. He knew that Grandpa Roma would be talking to Antonio about the soldiers that ruled their society, how they despised them with an undying passion. Lovino started rummaging through his pockets urgently and pulled out a gold coloured bluebird with silver wings and a clear view of its gears turning slowly that was no bigger than his thumb.

"Lovino, this isn't a good idea." Feliciano said. Lovino ignored him and got onto his knees and set the bird onto the floor. The bird twitched and chirped softly and hopped through the gap underneath the door. Lovino stood up quickly and put a small copper earpiece in his ear. He knew that this wasn't a good idea.

"Lovino…" Feliciano whispered frantically. He was worried if the small bluebird that he had made for Lovino's sixteenth birthday would be detected by Grandpa Roma and Antonio. Lovino shooed Feliciano.

"Shh, be quiet Feliciano." Lovino hissed. After a few minutes, Lovino's eyes widened and his face went face as he leaned against the wall for support. Feliciano made a step towards him nervously. He didn't know what was going on, but if Lovino reacted like that, it would have been something severe.

"What did they say, Lovino?" Feliciano asked. Lovino looked up at Feliciano as he yanked the earpiece out of his ear and shoved it back into his pocket hastily. He grabbed Feliciano's arm again and dragged him towards the kitchen all of a sudden. Feliciano asked again what was going on, but again Lovino gave him no reply. It was after the fifth time in asking when Lovino had released Feliciano and turned to face him with his best bored look on his face.

"Nothing. It's nothing." Lovino said airily, his eyes concerned yet full of suspicion. Feliciano frowned. He didn't know what was happening, but he knew one thing; it seemed as if Grandpa Roma and Antonio were now doing something illegal.

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_The next chapter awaits you_


	4. Chapter 4

Feliciano was sent into the market again to get, for some reason, seafood for Antonio. Although he asked what Antonio was going to do with them, Antonio refused to tell him his plans with them or why he was making what he was going to make. It made Feliciano curious. He walked down the market lane with a basket in hand whilst humming to himself despite the grey and horrible weather and the negative mood of the people behind and at every stall with Kathalina by his side. Feliciano was desperate to show the man at the scrap stall how well Kathalina was thanks to him and his idea about the circuit board. He had never seen Kathalina so lifelike in his entire life. But he had to get the seafood first. He walked up to the fishmonger's stall, and the fishmonger looked at him with dark sunken eyes.

"How can I help you, Vargas?" The man asked gruffly, eying Kathalina suspiciously as she eyed the fish on display intensely. Feliciano beamed at him nervously. Some people were very hostile towards both Feliciano and Lovino on most occasions, but he didn't really understand why. He had asked Grandpa about it, but Grandpa would just swiftly change the subject to something completely different and find a way to distract Feliciano from returning to the original topic.

"Erm, yes, I need some prawns and some clams please."Feliciano recited with an innocent smile on his face. The fishmonger eyed him mysteriously.

"Just what are you making?" The fishmonger asked curiously. Feliciano smiled at him, not as nervous as he was before. He wasn't as cold and harsh towards Feliciano as before.

"Oh, I'm not making it; Grandpa Roma's friend is making something for tonight. He hasn't told us, but I have an idea on what he's making though because I saw it in a cookbook when I was really little. But I don't really remember what it's called… erm, pie-something. Pie... um..." Feliciano frowned as he scratched his head. Just what was is that it was called? He had seen it in the cookbook that Grandpa Roma had that was kept in the kitchen cupboard. He knew it was a Spanish dish, but he couldn't remember for the life of him what that dish was called. The fishmonger smirked slightly.

"Is this little dish called paella?" The fishmonger asked. Feliciano smiled in sudden remembrance. That was it!

"That's it! It's called _paella_!" Feliciano said with a smile. The fishmonger rolled his eyes at Feliciano slowly but with a light smile on his face. But the fishmonger's smile fell rapidly as he glared at the floor darkly.

"Can you tell your cat to stop trying to swipe my stock?" The fishmonger asked darkly, eying Kathalina as she tried to scoop the fish in the tank with her paw as the fishmonger shoved the items into Feliciano's hand. Feliciano looked down at Kathalina pleadingly.

"Kathalina, stop it!" Feliciano said nervously. Kathalina ignored him of course, seeing that she didn't really have to listen to what Feliciano said. She had her own free will, so he couldn't force her to do anything she didn't want to do. Just like any other cat really. But now she was stretching lowly, her eyes on the fish tank. Feliciano's eyes widened in horror; his could not end well at all.

"Keep that vermin away from my stall." The fishmonger snarled, handing Feliciano his items in a strong plastic bag. Feliciano took the bag with one hand and quickly tied it to his belt. He then scooped Kathalina in his arms securely who started squirming in his grasp as she shrieked and hissed. Feliciano frowned to himself. Now what was going on with her? Feliciano had never experienced his much trouble with her ever.

"Kathalina, _stop it_!" Feliciano cried desperately. Passer-bys were slowing down drastically in speed as they watched Feliciano struggle to keep Kathalina in his arms. But suddenly, Feliciano felt a sharp sting on his arm as Kathalina sunk her teeth into his arm. Feliciano exclaimed in pain as he dropped Kathalina onto the floor. She had never bit him before ever since she was made. But Feliciano was not concerned about his arm at that moment. He watched in horror as Kathalina knocked the tank over as the glass shattered and the fish that flopped on the floor madly. Kathalina eyed the fish for a second, and then hissed at them. And with that she leaped up into Feliciano's arms again. Feliciano caught her clumsily, but then trembled in fear as the fishmonger slowly came from behind his stall.

"I'm so sorry! I swear she didn't mean it!" Feliciano stammered helplessly, holding Kathalina close. The fishmonger looked at his destroyed property and his now useless products that were on the floor. His face was hidden as his head was bent down, but Feliciano saw the fishmonger clench his shaky fist tightly.

"You best get out of here, or so help me God…" The fishmonger said in a low, dark voice. Feliciano couldn't stop his trembling at all; he even found it difficult to try and get the coin pouch from out of his pocket. He was absolutely terrified.

"I-I'll pay for the damage! Although I don't know how much it will be-" Feliciano gabbled nervously, almost dropping his coin pouch. He then found himself off of the ground as the fishmonger held Feliciano by the collar of his shirt with his hands, his feel dangling in midair. Feliciano dropped Kathalina with a terrified squeak, who hissed at the fishmonger acidly. The fishmonger's dark eyes were lighter with rage and the most unspeakable fury that Feliciano had ever seen in his entire life.

"I'm gonna make sure to knock some _fucking_ sense into that dense skull of yours!" The fishmonger snarled loudly, his fist rose in midair aiming for Feliciano's face. Feliciano's eyes widened in terror, staring at the fist with trembling eyes as thoughts were flying through his mind. He should never have brought Kathalina out with him that day; he should have found a way to not go out to the market; he should have overslept instead of waking up two hours earlier. He should have done _something_ to not go out of the house at all. Feliciano closed his eyes tightly as he took a deep breath and prepared himself for the pain to follow after the blow.

"What do you think you're doing?" A voice called. Feliciano opened his eyes and whipped his head around to see the same officer from the day before. Feliciano remembered his shiny blonde hair and his sharp blue eyes. The fishmonger dropped Feliciano onto his feet quickly and turned to the officer with a strained smile on his face.

"O-Officer! I didn't expect to see you here! Twice in one week! Would you like something today? Although, thanks to this_ brat_ and his menacing pet I don't have much to offer. But I do have some crabs and some shellfish if you want some-" The fishmonger was babbling about his remaining stock, his forehead shining with nervous sweat. The officer ignored him and put his hand up to stop the fishmonger's babbling. The fishmonger fell silent at once.

"You know that street fights are prohibited. And attacking innocent civilians is also a crime." The officer added in a stony tone. The fishmonger stared at the officer with wide eyes, his cheeks reddening. His eyes glowered at him with loathing as his face turned bright red.

"B-But his _cat_!" The fishmonger yelled furiously, pointing at Kathalina who was elegantly curled up in Feliciano's arms. Kathalina hissed at him; Feliciano shushed her softly as she mewled angrily. The officer stared at her for a few moments with a slight frown, and then turned his attention to the fishmonger again.

"If it was his pet's fault, you should not openly attack the owner. Do you wish for me to make our Alpha involved in this?" The officer added in a threatening tone as the fishmonger opened his mouth to interrupt him. The fishmonger closed his mouth quickly, glaring at the ground with a bitter expression on his face.

"No, officer…" The fishmonger murmured softly. The air was still. If the Alpha, the world's only and ruthless dictator would be involved, the punishment would most likely be death. The Alpha was meant to be a man of no mercy, a man of the upmost terror and a man of pure evil. Well, from what Grandpa had told Feliciano and Lovino from when they were children. He never saw the Alpha's face before, and he didn't ever intend on seeing his face; it was meant to be a sign of death if you saw him. But then there were the Beta and the Gamma, who were major and key supporters of the Alpha. Feliciano had no idea who they were at all. The officer looked at the fishmonger with a harsh expression on his face.

"Very well then. However, you sir," the officer said, glaring at the cat accusingly, "I do not want to see that cat here again. Do I make myself clear?" Feliciano nodded nervously.

"Y-Yes sir! I'll make sure that she won't cause any more trouble in the future, sir!" Feliciano said fervently, saluting the officer nervously. The officer frowned at him, but just shook his head and marched away from the stall. The fishmonger was muttering to himself darkly about the injustice towards the destruction of his stall. But Feliciano ignored him, and stared at the back of the officer's head. There was something about that officer that always made Feliciano's heart race and his mind spin.

"Now how am I going to make a living?" The fishmonger asked in a strained voice. Feliciano looked at the fishmonger, who was staring at his lost stock whilst on his knees. Feliciano felt bad for the man; it _was_ his fault why his stall was destroyed. Feliciano opened his coin pouch and glanced at it. He had a hefty amount of gold coins (which were indeed very valuable, with five being able to buy a year's worth of food), but a small and equal amount of silver and copper coins. So Feliciano pulled out a handful of gold coins and handed them to the fishmonger.

"I'm very sorry." Feliciano said earnestly as he dropped the coins in the fishmonger's hand. The fishmonger stared at the coins in awe and looked up with a bewildered look on his face. But Feliciano briefly smiled and rushed away towards the officer. The crowd had thickened, and the officer almost blended in with the people perfectly. But Feliciano could make out the blonde hair that was visible, his dark green coat and hat. Feliciano pushed past the people in the crowd with Kathalina now right beside him. It took a while to eventually reach the officer, with Feliciano finding himself outside the market by the crop field.

"Excuse me!" Feliciano called out. The officer stopped marching suddenly and turned to face Feliciano. Feliciano stopped dead in his tracks. The officer made his heart race for the second time that day, his heart beating wildly in his chest. The man was a lot taller than Feliciano, and looked at lot stronger than him. He looked more like a commander than an officer with his bright gold badge of the Alpha emblem. The officer looked at him with a confused look on his face.

"Can I help you?" The officer asked. Feliciano blinked in surprise. His voice was a lot deeper than the average man. Feliciano swallowed nervously but smiled at him gratefully.

"I just wanted to say thank you for stopping the man from hitting me." Feliciano said with a smile on his face. The officer looked at him with a mild shocked expression on his face which then turned mutual.

"He was going to attack you, even though you didn't provoke him." The officer said in a matter of fact tone.

"But my cat destroyed his stall." Feliciano pointed out, as Kathalina leapt up onto Feliciano's shoulder. The officer nodded at him slowly, his blue eyes on Kathalina for a moment.

"That may be so, but you tried to make amends. He had no reason to try and assault you." The officer added.

"Oh…" Feliciano murmured. So he wasn't doing anything wrong at all? Although he could have tried harder to stop Kathalina from destroying the stall, Feliciano couldn't deny that important factor.

"I'll be on my way now, if you don't need me anymore." The officer said in a hurried tone.

"What's your name?" Feliciano asked suddenly. He didn't know why he said that all of a sudden; the words just rolled off of his tongue freely with no trouble. The officer looked at Feliciano with a frown.

"Excuse me? That is none of your concern." The officer said harshly.

"I'll tell you mine if it will make you feel less uncomfortable! It's Feliciano, Feliciano Vargas." Feliciano said. What was he doing? The officer didn't have any idea about who he was at all. Why was he so eager to make sure that this officer would remember his name?

"What point is there to tell me your name?" The officer asked with furrowed eyebrows.

"So that you have to tell me your name, of course; it's only polite." Feliciano added with a sheepish smile. The corners of the officer's lips twitched slightly before he sighed heavily and shook his head at Feliciano.

"I am Zeta Ludwig Beilschmidt of the third segment. Now if you'll excuse me-" The officer said. Feliciano repeated the name to himself. Ludwig was a nice name, and Beilschmidt was very strange indeed. But what was a _Zeta_? And what did he mean by the third segment? Feliciano couldn't help but wonder.

"What's a Zeta?" Feliciano asked curiously. Ludwig frowned again.

"Why would you want to know?" Ludwig asked. Feliciano shrugged his shoulders lightly, taking a step forward towards Ludwig, who stared at him with questioning eyes.

"It's just that the word is really weird, _Zeta_. What does it do?" Feliciano asked.

"It's a rank." Ludwig said in a correcting tone.

"For the army?" Feliciano asked. Ludwig tilted his head slightly to the side with a very small but obvious smile; a smile which made Feliciano's heart skip a few beats. Ludwig's eyes were searching Feliciano's face intensely for some reason.

"You are a curious citizen, aren't you?" Ludwig asked after a while, crossing his arms thoughtfully. Feliciano swallowed loudly and shuffled his feet slightly.

"I like to know new things! It makes things more interesting. I think that we should know a little bit more than we're taught. It's only fair that we know more about our world. We have a right to know as much as the nobles and the Alpha." Feliciano blurted out suddenly. His eyes widened. Why on earth did he say that for? Ludwig was an officer, an important person to the Alpha; questioning the Alpha was forbidden in front of an officer. Ludwig's eyes flashed briefly in surprise, but returned to their icy colour.

"I have to go." Ludwig said firmly, turning away from Feliciano. Feliciano froze for a second. Did he really have to leave?

"Oh, OK then, Ludwig – I mean, erm, officer! Will I see you tomorrow?" Feliciano asked nervously. He couldn't stop himself. He had no idea what he was doing at all, or what was going to happen. Why did he want to see this officer in particular another time soon? He didn't mean anything to Feliciano.

"We'll see." Ludwig said in a tired voice. Feliciano laughed lightly and waved at Ludwig as he marched away. He didn't wave back of course, but for some reason, the thought of seeing him again brought a warm feeling to Feliciano's chest. He found it very unusual. Kathalina mewled in Feliciano's ear softly and purred gently. Feliciano turned his head to her and scratched her underneath her chin and smiled as she purred again.

"What do you think of Ludwig, Kathalina? Do you think he's a nice man?" Feliciano asked softly to her. Kathalina mewled grumpily, which made Feliciano chuckle softly. Kathalina was never fond of people unless they were friends with Feliciano anyway.

* * *

_The next chapter awaits you_


	5. Chapter 5

A week passed in an uneventful blur for Feliciano. He strolled amongst the people in the market looking for things that would be beneficial for him. He was trying to make a toy for Kathalina with a few scrap heaps that he found throughout the week, but he didn't know what to make. But he couldn't get the Zeta Ludwig Beilschmidt out of his head. He didn't know what was so special about Ludwig, except for his amazingly bright eyes and his soft silky looking hair and his toned body. Ludwig's dedication to the people was slightly obvious to Feliciano, and his sense of justice and judgment as more favourable than other patrol officers.

Feliciano soon found himself at the edge of the cluster of markets with his goggles on a chain that rested on his hips lightly so to keep them from hurting his head. They would always hurt his head from time to time, so he kept it on the chain so that his head wouldn't hurt so. He passed the spot where the fishmonger's stall used to be slowly and looked at it with a sad smile. He had given the man enough money to set up a new stall, but for his products, it would take the fishmonger a long while until he can reach his target. Feliciano carried on walking until something caught his eye. Feliciano smiled widely as he reached the colourful flower market. He could make out the familiar figure behind the stall as the woman busied herself by rearranging her flowers in order of colour.

"_Ciao,_ Miss. Elizaveta!" Feliciano called out in a cheerful voice.

Elizaveta was a young woman who looked in her twenties but obviously older, with long soft brown hair that reached her hips and bright green eyes that shone with an infinite amount of love and affection than any woman Feliciano had ever met. She wore a long sleeved pale green shirt and a dark green skirt that met her ankles with a white apron that was showing off muddy hand prints. She was the mother that Feliciano and Lovino never had, as she helped raise the boys with Grandpa Roma. She would always comfort them when they had nightmares of monsters and demons, and she would tell them to never set themselves low goals in life. Elizaveta smiled back warmly.

"Ah, if it isn't my cute little Feli, looking as handsome as ever!" Elizaveta cried out joyfully, hugging Feliciano tightly as Feliciano breathed on her earthy and flowery scent.

"Look at you! You've gotten so big since I last saw. It must have been, what, two years now? And yet you still look like the little baby that I held in my arms!" Elizaveta gushed with a sweet smile, glowing at Feliciano brightly. Feliciano laughed lightly as Elizaveta laughed with him. Elizaveta was never scared to be happy. She knew when she reached her limit of course, but she was never afraid to smile and laugh when she wanted to make someone happy. The people loved her; and she loved everyone.

"How have you been, Elizaveta? How are you doing with the flowers?" Feliciano asked, picking up a lily and breathing in its sweet scent.

"Business has been going on fine, but one of the officers tried to work his way around me, trying to get a free bouquet of flowers, the cheeky thing. Saying that: '_A little girl like you wouldn't be able to stop me!_' Humph! The nerve of some men these days, honestly, he's got some guts." Elizaveta said in a sour tone. Feliciano looked at her with a curious look on his face.

"What did you do?" He asked in a pondering tone. Elizaveta chuckled lightly as she started to rearrange the bright yellow sunflowers that were out on display.

"Well, he demanded an arm wrestling fight with me. And let's just say that his hand is still slightly broken." Elizaveta said in an airy voice. Feliciano stared at her with a shocked look on his face.

"Did you really break his hand, Elizaveta? I didn't know that you were _that_ strong!" Feliciano said in awe. He knew that Elizaveta was a little bit strong, but he didn't know that she was stronger than an officer. Unless of course the officer was very weak.

"Well, I'm sure he was just over exaggerating it a little… I didn't even try to be honest. But, he had what was coming to him. That will teach him to mess with me for a while." Elizaveta chuckled. Feliciano smiled at Elizaveta widely as he picked up a sunflower. He didn't know how Elizaveta could look after the flowers so well, especially those that could easily die in cold conditions. He assumed that she just knew everything about flowers. Feliciano then had a thought.

"Elizaveta, you know a lot of stuff, don't you?" Feliciano asked with a smile, putting the sunflower down. Elizaveta laughed happily as she bent down.

"Well, I don't know _much_, but I know as much as the other people around here. Why, what do you want to know?" Elizaveta asked in return as she picked up a potted plant to place on her display.

"What's a Zeta?" Feliciano asked innocently. Elizaveta looked up at him in shock as the potted plant slipped from her hands. She stumbled slightly as she caught it blindly. Feliciano frowned. He didn't expect Elizaveta to react like that at all. She looked at him with a white face, her eyes bulging out of their sockets.

"What did you do, Feliciano?" She asked in a low voice. Feliciano frowned again.

"I just wanted to–" Feliciano started slowly.

"_What did you do?_" Elizaveta asked again in a much harsher and louder voice. Feliciano jumped back slightly as Elizaveta looked at him with furious eyes.

"I haven't done anything! I just wanted to know." Feliciano replied truthfully. All he wanted was to know a little bit more about what a Zeta was nothing more than that. He didn't know what Elizaveta was getting worked over. Elizaveta stared at him for a moment before sighing heavily in what seemed to be relief.

"Feliciano, they work for the Alpha." Elizaveta said in a hushed voice, going behind her stall quickly, as if nervous that someone would be eavesdropping. Feliciano sighed impatiently.

"I know _that_, but what _are_ they?" Feliciano asked in a whining tone. Elizaveta shushed him. Feliciano fell silent. Elizaveta waited a while to carry on.

"They're highly trained soldiers chosen by the Alpha himself. They were around the same time your grandpa was born. People used to think that it was a special privilege. But they were oh so wrong. They only know one thing: it's either to obey the Alpha or face your death. They are the most evil, vile, disgusting… _creatures_ in existence." Elizaveta hissed in disgust as her eyes darkened mournfully. Feliciano frowned at Elizaveta again. That couldn't be right at all.

"But what if you meet a nice one?" Feliciano asked. Elizaveta scoffed darkly in disbelief.

"Feli, there's no such thing as a '_nice Zeta_.' If you met a nice Zeta, you'd be in history books by now in my eyes." Elizaveta said with a bitter tone. Feliciano smiled at her widely.

"Well I should be in the history books, because there _is_ a nice one, Elizaveta! He was ever so kind to me, and he saved me from the mean fishmonger because he was going to hit me. _And_ he even said that he would talk to me soon. He hasn't spoken to me yet, but I know he'll talk to me eventually!" Feliciano gabbled in a bubbly tone. He didn't know why he was so happy all of a sudden by just mentioning Ludwig. Probably because he hadn't seen him in such a long while. Elizaveta stared at Feliciano with a horrified look on her face.

"Does your grandpa know about you being friends with a Zeta?" She asked with a slight hiss to her tone. Feliciano shook his head slowly with a confused look on his face. Elizaveta was most definitely acting strangely all of a sudden. He knew Grandpa had a very unhealthy relationship with the officers and even the Alpha himself, but he didn't really think that he would mind that much if Feliciano only just spoke politely to Ludwig.

"Why should he? Is there something wrong?" Feliciano asked with a slight frown. Elizaveta looked at him with a look of shock and disbelief again, but this time with a hint of surprise. She set the potted plant down slowly and looked at Feliciano again.

"You don't know…?" Elizaveta asked as her voice trailed away. Feliciano frowned again.

"Know what?" He asked. Elizaveta shook her head at him suddenly and picked up a large bunch of carnations.

"Never mind, forget I ever said anything. Do you want to help me sell some flowers Feli? The one who sells the most gets a special treat from the loser." Elizaveta said with a strained smile. Feliciano frowned a little, but smiled and grabbed a handful of flowers. Perhaps he could try making a fake flower for Kathalina to entertain her.

* * *

Feliciano walked through the crop fields with a small bouquet of cornflowers, a large grin on his face and the sun weakly shining down on him. He knew for a fact that Elizaveta didn't even try to sell her bunches of flowers that she had whilst Feliciano politely pestered people to buy his off of him. But he did realise that Elizaveta seemed slightly fazed as she sold the flowers. Maybe she's ill, Feliciano thought to himself. But then again, Feliciano wondered by what she meant about him not knowing. What was it that he didn't know? Feliciano looked up at the sky and stopped for a moment. The sky was grey as the sun weakly glowed behind the clouds. He wondered if it was going to rain.

Feliciano looked away from the clouds and felt his heart stop suddenly. There, walking in the direction of the market was a Zeta with shiny blonde hair combed back and bright blue eyes. He didn't expect to see Ludwig just out of the blue like this. He never actually thought that he would see Ludwig at all. Feliciano gasped softly in shock, but then smiled widely at Ludwig and waved his hand widely at him.

"_Ludwig_, there you are!" Feliciano called out to him, making his way towards Ludwig quickly. Ludwig looked up at him with a questioning look on his face, staring at Feliciano with shocked eyes.

"Do I know you?" Ludwig asked slowly, looking Feliciano up and down. Feliciano frowned, and placed his hands on his shoulders. Did he forget things so easily? Understandable it was a week ago, but it wasn't _that_ long!

"It's _me_: Feliciano. You saved me from the fishmonger last week!" Feliciano added in an expecting tone. Ludwig's eyes flashed in recognition as the corners of his lips twitched slightly.

"Ah, yes. You're that boy with the boy with the troublesome cat. I can assume that you followed my advice and left him at home." Ludwig said with a light chuckle as he seemed to be looking for Kathalina. Feliciano nodded with a smile.

"Uh-huh, she's at home playing with a little toy that I made for her." Feliciano said with a chuckle. Ludwig shook his head at Feliciano with a heavy sigh.

"You seem to be more troublesome than the cat." Ludwig grumbled under his breath. Feliciano giggled lightly. It was then Feliciano heard the sound of a record scratching sound that seemed to be coming from Ludwig.

"Oh for God's sake..." Ludwig hissed as he pulled out a small circular object from his pocket. Feliciano peered at the object. It was a brownish gold colour, with a double headed eagle engraved in it with a small 'a' at the bottom of it. The object was now hissing slightly and making scratchy noises.

"What's that?" Feliciano asked curiously. Ludwig looked at Feliciano with a dark glare.

"It has nothing to do with you." He said firmly. Feliciano ignored him and look the thing off of him quickly. Ludwig seemed taken aback for a moment, and then looked at Feliciano furiously.

"How dare you?! You can't just _take_ something that doesn't belong to you!" Ludwig said in a furious tone. Feliciano however was too busy looking at the object to listen to Ludwig. It was most obviously a small walkie-talkie of sorts, the microphone placed at the top so that the voice could be carried through to the others on the end clearly. The small speakers were in perfect condition. The main problem seemed to be the inside of the actual thing itself rather than the outside.

"It looks like the connection to the speakers has been disconnected." Feliciano said in a matter of fact tone. Ludwig stopped mid-rant and looked at Feliciano questioningly.

"What? How do you know that's the case?" Ludwig asked, sounding unsure.. Feliciano paused. He couldn't explain to Ludwig how he knew. So Feliciano just shrugged his shoulders and looked at Ludwig with honest eyes.

"I just know is all." Feliciano replied simply enough. Ludwig let out a very quick, very sharp chuckle that made Feliciano's heart glow warmly. He liked his laughter for some reason; maybe it was because Ludwig seemed so serious all of the time.

"I don't think that _you_ can fix this. You don't look capable enough. You can barely discipline your cat." Ludwig added. Feliciano blushed slightly in annoyance and embarrassment. Yes, he acted hopeless at times, but he would like it if people thought that he had _some_ brains up there in his head.

"Well, how about I prove it to you? If I can fix this, then you have to talk to me everyday from then on." Feliciano said with a triumphant tone. Ludwig stared at Feliciano for a second, and then laughed softly. Feliciano felt his heart soar.

"You are a strange young boy, aren't you?" Ludwig asked with a slight smile. Feliciano smiled back. Ludwig shook his head at Feliciano and looked down at his watch.

"Well, I don't know _why_ I'm letting you take my pin, but I suppose that you could _try_ and fix it. I could easily get a replacement though." Ludwig said in a matter of fact tone.

"Don't worry, you'll have it back by tomorrow afternoon, I promise!" Feliciano said whilst crossing his heart. He would always do that when making a promise to someone. It helped him keep to them and make sure that he didn't forget them.

"I'll hold you to that. Well, I shall see you tomorrow, Feliciano." Ludwig said sternly. Feliciano nodded at him happily. He then had an idea. He grabbed a single cornflower and handed it to Ludwig, who stared at it with a confused expression.

"You can have it if you want." Feliciano said with a blush on his cheeks. Ludwig's cheeks went a pale pink shade, but he hastily took the flower off of Feliciano and looked at it with a somewhat soft expression on his face.

"If it gets me to my post earlier, I suppose that I can hold onto this for a while." Ludwig mumbled. He looked at the cornflower for a final time, and then put it in the chest pocket of his coat. Feliciano smiled at him again.

"See you tomorrow." Feliciano said with a large smile as he rushed past Ludwig through the fields. He heard Ludwig say something to him, but the rushing noise of the wind through his ear as he ran through the fields cloaked what Ludwig was saying. It probably wasn't that important anyways.

* * *

As soon as Feliciano opened the front the front door, he was greeted by what seemed to be a large cluster of people. There were men crowding the corridor, and as Feliciano politely squeezed past them, he noticed that all the doors leading to different rooms were open, with more people inside. Feliciano made his way to the kitchen and found a trio of girls floating around in the kitchen making a whole range of food amongst them, all of them wearing ribbons in their hair. Feliciano looked around him, confused and slightly scared. Just what on earth was going on?

One of the girls turned around, saw Feliciano, and then suddenly giggled and then tapped her friends on their shoulders.

"_Oh girls, look, Feli's here_!" She gushed, her pigtails tied in neat red ribbons. Her friends gasped in surprise and turned to look with large grins on their face.

"_Feliciano_, I haven't seen you in such a long time!" A girl with short blonde hair and a lilac ribbon said as she hugged him tightly around the waist.

"Erm…" Feliciano stammered. The girl with the ribbons awed him and started pinching his cheeks suddenly.

"Oh, look at him, he's so _cute_!" She squealed, as she continued to pinch his cheeks. Feliciano never felt so terrified of girls in his entire life. Feliciano was having enough of this. He shook the girls off of him and started backing away from them slowly.

"I, erm, I have to find my grandpa." Feliciano said in a fake, depressed tone. The girls groaned in unison as Feliciano started to back away slower than before.

"Well, he's in the dining room if you need him, Feli!" A girl with a red hair ribbon said in a helpful tone. Feliciano thanked the girl, made his way out of the kitchen and squeezed past the men again to make his way towards the dining room.

The dining room had six people in there, including Grandpa Roma, Lovino and Antonio. The table was covered with sheets of paper as Grandpa Roma guided a ginger haired man through them all, whilst Antonio and Lovino seemed to be helping two blonde men, one short and one tall. They were mumbling amongst themselves until Roma looked up at Feliciano with a warm smile.

"Ah, there you are, Feli! I would have thought that you would help the girls in the kitchen." Grandpa Roma said with a cheeky wink. Feliciano laughed slightly, and then frowned at Grandpa Roma.

"Grandpa, what's going on? Why are all these people here?" Feliciano asked worryingly. Grandpa Roma eyes flashed for a second, but then he strode towards Feliciano and placed his hands on his shoulders.

"Well, maybe it would be best if I explained all of this to you tomorrow." Grandpa Roma said in a soft voice. One of the men scoffed.

"You haven't told the boy yet?" The man asked in a mocking tone. Feliciano looked around Grandpa Roma to see that it was the red haired man. Feliciano looked at him.

"Told me what?" He asked. The red haired man laughed darkly.

"We're going to starting a revolution." The man said in a blunt tone. Lovino glared at the man darkly. Feliciano frowned but felt his blood grow gold. Revolutions were usually good, a new start, a new beginning in the world. But it was a big world, and of course they had the officers to deal with, and Feliciano wasn't particularly sure that he wanted to encounter an angry officer.

"A revolution…?" Feliciano asked slowly in disbelief.

"Yeah, that's what I said, a revolution. Of course, we're going to have to make a few sacrifices of course, lives will be lost…" The man said in a slight nonchalant tone. Grandpa Roma turned his head to him sharply. Feliciano was trembling.

"Allistor, that's _enough_." Grandpa Roma hissed. The red haired man sighed heavily at Grandpa Rome heavily and tiredly.

"Let the boy _know_ Roma, for God's sake! If you keep him in the dark, how do you expect him to grow?" The man asked in exasperation, gesturing to Feliciano. But now Feliciano was glancing at Lovino, who was keeping his head down and seemed to be more interested with the papers on the table. He didn't want anyone to lose their lives, especially those he knew and cared about of course. What if it got to the point where Lovino, or Grandpa Roma, or worse, if both of them died? What would he do?

"What are we starting a revolution for?" Feliciano asked softly, still looking at Lovino. Lovino looked up at Feliciano with eyes that burned into him, fierce and brave. Lovino stood up straight, and looked Feliciano straight in the eyes.

"We're going to take the Alpha down." Lovino replied.

* * *

_The next chapter awaits you_


End file.
